Battery feed for automatic filling-replenishing looms



A. E. RHOADES. BATTERY FEED FOR AUTOMATIC FILLING REPLE-NISHING LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1920.. 1 {117,861 Patented May 30, 1922.

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LO g 3 m g; (0 I, g I'D 1 L i \o 0 \nven'for. Alonzo E.Rhoudes MMQQHM ATTys.

A. E. RHOADES. BATTERY FEED FOR AUTOMATIC mums REPLENISHING Looms.

APPUCATION FILED SEPT. 13. 1920. 1,417,861.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lnven'ror. Alongo ERhoades Patented M53130, 1922.

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

ALONZO E. RHOADES, OF HOPEDALE, IJIASSACHUSEITS, ASSIGNOR '10 DRAPER CORPO- RATION, HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CQBPGRATIQN OF MAINE.

BATTERY FEED FOR AUTOMATIC FILLING?REELENISHING LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1922.

Application filed September 13, 1920. Serial No. 409,836.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anonzo E. RHOADES, a citizen of the United States, resident of Hopedale, county of lVorcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Battery Feed for Automatic Filling-Replenishing Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to an automatic filling replenishing loom in which the supply of fresh filling carriers is contained in a rotary battery or hopper which is fed or rotated at the proper time to bring a fresh filling carrier into position for transfer.

The object of the invention is to provide a ratchet feed for the battery or hopper positively operated from the cam shaft of the loom in which the pawl of the ratchet mech anism is normally out of engagement with the ratchet and in which the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet at the required time is effected by means controlled by the transferring mechanism.

The object of the invention is further to provide means for locking the pawl against disengagement from the ratchet during the actuating stroke of the pawl.

The object of the invention is further to provide a give-way connection between the pawl and the actuating cam.

The object of the invention more broadly considered is to provide a positively actuated battery feed of an improved type thus securing a positive, accurate, and definite feed or rotation-of the battery or hopper at the required time to bring the fresh filling carrier into position for transfe These and other objects and features of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevation partially in vertical cross section of so much of a loom with a preferred form of the invention embodied therein as is necessary to a disclosure of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of themain portion of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

The invention is applicable to any form of automatic filling replenishing loom wherein a rotary battery or hopper for the fresh filling carriers is employed, but in the preferred form illustrated is shown in connection with the well known Northrop type of filling replenishing loom. As the construction and operation of that loom is well known and familiar to those skilled in the art no detailed description or illustration of the loom other than those parts directly connected with the invention is necessary.

A portion of the loom frame 1 is illustrated including the usual arch 2 and breast beam 3. A cam shaft 4 commonly extends t 'ansversely of the loom between the loom sides and is constantly rotated from the power shaft of the loom.

The breast beam 3 supports at one side a battery or hopper stand 5 carrying the battery or hopper, the end plate 6 of which is usually formed integrally or rigid with the stand 5. The hopper stand and end plate 6 is provided with a central shaft 7 having a bearing therein and which supports the rotating part of the battery or hopper which carries the fresh filling carriers. This r0 tating part includes the disc 8 in which in the construction shown are seated the butts of filling carriers in the form of bobbins 9.

The battery mechanism, viewing Fig; 1, rotates counter clock wise and by its rotation brings a fresh filling carrier as indicated in dotted lines into transferring position against the fixed guide or abutment 10. From this position it is transferred by suit able transferring mechanism to the lay and in this case to the shuttle on the lay when the transferring mechanism is actuated noon the occurrence of substantial or comp ete exhaustion of filling in the running shuttle.

In the Northrop type of loom when such substantial or complete exhaustion of the running filling has occurred suitable mechanism such as a feeler mechanism actuates a starter rod 11 extending at the front of the breast beam of the loom and this starter rod in turn effects the actuation of a transferrer arm 12 mounted on a shaft 13 in this case having a bearing in the hopper stand 5 so that the transferrer arm is swung downwardly discharging the filling carrier 9 in position against the guiding abutment 10 into the shuttle on the lay then there be neath and forcing out the substantially or completely exhausted filling carrier.

The battery or hopper must obviously be rotated after each transfer has taken place to bring a fresh filling carrier into position against the guiding abutment ready for transfer upon the call for filling replenishment. The present invention is concerned with means for securing a positive, accurate and definite feed or rotation of the hopper thus to bring the fresh filling carrier into transferring position, and a preferred form of construction embodying the invention is illustrated.

The shaft 7 has secured thereto exteriorly of the end plate 6 of the hopper a positioning ratchet wheel 11 and a feeding ratchet wheel 15 both of which therefore rotate with the rotatable parts of the battery or hopper.

The positioning ratchet wheel 14 is for the purpose of assisting in the positioning of the filling carrier in position for transfer. Cooperating with this wheel is a positioning 'detent 16 shown in the form of a flat spring having an angular bend fitting in between the teeth of the wheel. This detent 16 thus yields radially of the wheel and is .cammed into and out of position by the wheel in its rotation. The detent is preferably supported by a bracket 17 bolted on to theface of the hopper end plate 6.

The feed of the battery is secured by a pawl 18 having a tooth 19 adapted to cooperate with the feeding ratchet wheel 15. This pawl is constantly reciprocated by a cam 20 on a constantly rotating cam shaft 4 of the loom and is normally out of engagement with the feeding ratchet wheel 15. Its engagement with the ratchet wheel is under the control of the transferring mechanism and is so arranged that when transfer takes place the pawl is brought into engage ment with the ratchet wheel and effects the desired feeding or rotary movement of the battery or hopper mechanism to bring" a fresh filling carrier into position for transfer. V

In the preferred construction illustrated the front end 21 of the pawl rests on an anti-friction roll 22 supported on a plunger 23 longitudinally mounted in a substantially vertically movable bar 21. The pawl extends in a substantially horizontal direction above the ratchet wheel 15 and at its rear end is pivoted at 25 to a lever 26 fulcrumed at 27 on the arch 2 and bearing atits lower end against the cam 20. It will thus be seen that the pawl is constantly reciprocated by the shaft 20 and that when the bar 241 is lowered the tooth 19 is brought into engagement with the ratchet wheel15 to rotate the battery.

A suitable give-way connection is provided between the pawl tooth 19 and the cam 20 so that if the pawl continues in engagement with the ratchetwheel 15 after the desired rotation has been effected and a fresh filling carrier has been brought against the guiding abutment 10 there will be a yield or give-way to avoid injury or damage to the mechanism.

In the construction illustrated this giveway connection is effected in the construction of the pawl member itself. The part 28 is socketed or bored out and provided at its front end with a nut 29 threaded into the enlarged end of the socket or bore. A threaded stem 30 is screwed into the rear end of the part '31 and locked in adjusted position by a lock nut 32. This stem projects into the bore of the part 28' and is provided at its rear end with a head 33. In the bore or socket between the head 33 and the nut 29 is mounted a helical spring 34. Consequently it will be seen that if the upper end of the lever 26 swings rearwardly at a time when the pawl tooth 19 is held against movement the stem 30 will slide in the bore of the part 28 compressing the spring 34 and thus preventing injury or damage to the mechanism.

The bar 2 1 is under the control of the transfer mechanism and in the construction illustrated is pivoted at its lower end at 35 to an arm 36 secured to the same shaft 13 to which is secured the transferrer arm 12. Consequently when transfer takes place and the transferrer arm 12 is swung downwardly to effect transfer the bar 21 is lowered and the paWl tooth 19 brought into engagement with the latch wheel 15. The upper end of the bar 2% is guided in any suitable manner as by having a sliding bearing in the bracket 37 bolted to the end plate 6 of the battery or hopper.

The invention also provides means for locking the pawl against disengagement from the ratchet 15 during the actuating stroke of the pawl thus to insure the proper feeding movement and prevent the pawl from being lifted out of engagement accidently or by the upward movement of the transferrer arm. For this purpose a latch 38 is provided pivoted at 39 on the bracket 37 directly above the front end 21 of the pawl. The shape of this latch and the length of the end 21 are such that when the pawl is lowered into engagement with the ratchet wheel 15 the latch swings by gravity over the end 21 ofthe pawl until the rear edge 10 of the latch stands substantially ver tical. Thus the pawl; is locked in engagement. As the actuating stroke of the pawl continues and the pawl moves rearwardly the end 21 slides under the latch and at the conclusion of the actuating movement the extreme front of the end 21 passes in the rear of the edge to of the latch. If new the pawl be raised it follows that upon the forward movement of the pawl the extreme front of the end 21 will come into contact with theedge 10 of the latch and swing the latch back to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The pawl is raised on its forward movement by the tooth 19 sliding over the ratchet and preferably by the upward movement of the transferrer. For this purpose the antifriction roll 22 upon which the end 21 of the pawl rests and which it will be remembered is mounted on the plunger 23 is provided. This plunger is guided in a suitable projection 41 on the bar 24: and beneath the projection is provided with nuts 42 while the projection is bored or hollowed out and provided with a helical spring surrounding the plunger. Consequently it will be seen that as the transferrer arm 12 rises after transfer it raises the bar 24 and if the pawl 18 is then looked it compresses the spring 13 until the time is reached when the latch 38 is thrown out of position when the spring i3 acts to lift the pawl.

It will thus be seen that a simple and effective means is provided for giving a positive, accurate and definite feed to the battery or hopper from the cam shaft of the loom involving the features and advantages hereinbefore referred to and hereinafter more particularly set forth in the claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1 1. An automatic filling replenishing loom comprising a rotary battery or hopper for the fresh filling carriers, a transfer mechanism for effecting transfer of the filling carriers therefrom, a ratchet wheel on the rotary battery or hopper, a constantly rotating cam shaft and a cam thereon, a pawl for cooperation with the ratchet actuated by the cam and normally out of engagement with the ratchet and means controlled by the transfer mechanism for effecting engagement of the pawl with the ratchet.

2. An automatic filling replenishing loom having the construction defined in claim 1 together with means for locking the pawl against disengagement from the ratchet during the actuating stroke of the pawl.

23. An automatic filling replenishing loom having the construction defined in claim 1 in which a give-way connection is provided between the pawl tooth and the cam.

4. An automatic filling replenishing loom comprising a rotary battery or hopper for the fresh filling carriers, a transfer mechanism for effecting transfer of the filling carriers therefrom, a ratchet wheel on the rotary battery or hopper, a pawl for cooperation with the ratchet and normally out of engagement with the ratchet, means for re ciprocating the pawl, and means controlled by the transfer mechanism for effecting engagement of the pawl with the ratchet.

5. An automatic filling replenishing loom having the construction defined in claim 4: together with means for locking the pawl against disengagement from the ratchet during the actuating stroke of the pawl.

6. An automatic filling replenishing loom comprising a rotary battery or hopper for the fresh filling carriers, a ratchet wheel on the rotary battery or hopper, a constantly rotating cam shaft and a cam thereon, a pawl for cooperation with the ratchet, a lever pivoted to the pawl and operated by the cam to effect a reciprocatin movement of the pawl, a pivotally mounte transferrer arm, and a bar connected to the transferrer arm and acting to hold the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet and to permit the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet 4 when the transferrer arm is swung to dis charge a filling carrier from the battery or hopper.

7 An automatic filling replenishing loom having the construction defined in claim 6 together with means for locking the pawl against disengagement from the ratchet during the actuating stroke of the pawl.

8. An automatic filling replenishing loom having the construction defined in claim 6 together with a latch pivotally mounted on the loom frame adjacent the free end of the pawl and acting when the pawl moves into engagement with the ratchet to swing over the free end of the pawl and lock the pawl against disengagement from the ratchet during its actuating stroke and acting to be swung out of locking position by the pawl upon its retracting stroke.

9. An automatic filling replenishing loom comprising a rotary battery or hopper for the fresh filling carriers, a transfer mechanism for effecting transfer of the filling carriers therefrom, a ratchet wheel on the rotary battery or hopper, a pawl for cooperation with the ratchet and means for effecting a constant reciprocation of said pawl, a bar engaging the pawl and controlled by the transfer mechanism and acting upon the discharging movement of the transfer mechanism to bring the pawl into cooperation with the ratchet, means for locking the pawl against disengagement from the ratchet during the actuating stroke of the pawl, and a give-way connection between the pawl and ratchet to permit the returning movement of the transfer mechanism while the pawl is locked against disengagement from the ratchet.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALONZO E. RHOADES. 

